Bloodletting
by Daxx Ripley
Summary: One missing girl. Two vampire hunters. Three deaths. Four vampires. One million reasons to kill the most alluring person she's ever met.
1. I

As legend would tell, eons ago lived the God of Sun and Goddess of Moon. The two lived together harmoniously and soon fell deeply in love. From them was born the Earth and their children, to whom they named human.

The affection was short lived, however, as the God of Sun became reclusive to the Goddess of Moon. In her intense grief, her very soul divided. The result was catastrophic to some human children, and they devoured her pain and quenched their thirst with the blood of the innocent.

Disgusted by what his former lover had done, the God of Sun erupted and banished the bloodthirsty creatures to the darkness; forcing them into the night as a constant reminder of what the Goddess had created. In an effort to save the innocent humans, he offered forth a ray of his light and granted them the ability of transformation to the animal wolf. With this, they carried a bite fatal to the blood drinkers.

However, his heart, too, was broken, and the gift he gave came at a price; those who transformed would forever crave the taste of the moon and cry out to her.

The Earth witnessed the atrocities created by the God and Goddess, and as well born his own species; exemplary individuals with the strength of body and mind to defend the truly innocent from the demons before them. And for them, Earth also granted a gift; the flower named Ambrosia, deadly to both former species.

In the end, the three creations were given name. For the Goddess, they were called vampire. For the God, they were named lycan. And for the Earth, they were deemed slayer.

Soon after creation, a peace treaty was drawn between the three species. For hundreds of years, they lived respectfully among each other. This new found peace led to the decline of the birth of slayers, as they were no longer necessary for survival.

Some one hundred years ago, the peace treaty was violently broken and a great war began. Suddenly, the birth of slayers regenerated. In an attempt to close the racial divide, the slayers offered forth yet another offer of peace, to which only the lycans agreed. For the next coming years, the lycans worked alongside the slayers, fighting for peace. And the slayers trained as children, dedicating their lives to protecting the innocent.

Or that was for which they were created.

* * *

"That is the biggest load of crap I've ever read," Bella said, snapping her book closed and stuffing it inside her bag.

Alice wrinkled her nose, "I think it's beautiful."

"Of course you do," Bella said with a gentle smile. "That's exactly in your nature."

"I'll never understand your distaste in romance and love," Alice sighed.

"Firstly, that story is hardly romantic, and definitely unrealistic. Why it's in our history books is beyond me. But for your information, I don't find love and romance distasteful. . . I just have other priorities at the moment," Bella stated, pulling from her bag a slender, polished dagger.

Alice eyed the weapon momentarily before shaking her head, "One of these days, Bella, someone is going to crash into you so quickly you won't even remember you _have_ a weapon."

Bella grinned and held the dagger up to her face to closely inspect before twirling it between her fingers expertly.

"I doubt it," She said, shrugging. "At least not any time soon. All I'm focused on right now is passing our exams and beginning an apprenticeship."

"God, you're so serious, Bella," Alice scoffed, as they fell in step next to each other. "Not everything is about killing vampires!"

Bella's face grew dark, but only for a moment. Though she knew Alice was only joking, it wasn't a subject Bella took very lightly. She glanced down quickly at the scar on her wrist; an ugly bite mark that served as a constant reminder of exactly why she hated vampires.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Alice said, stopping in the hallway to speak. "I didn't mean it like it that. It's just that you focus so much of your time on training I wonder if you're even enjoying life at all?"

Bella shifted the bag on her shoulder uncomfortably and then yanked her sleeve down to cover her scar, "I'll enjoy life when I'm apprenticing and killing vampires."

A bell chimed and echoed through the halls, and Alice's eyes grew wide, "We're late again. Laurent won't be happy."

Bella sighed as the two of them quickened their pace through the corridor, "I was going to stay late to train tonight anyway."

"As if you need the extra training," Alice commented, rolling her eyes.

It was a long walk to their training area, halfway across the castle grounds. They were almost always late as their class prior to training was conveniently far away. Unfortunately for the two, tardiness was unacceptable to their instructor, Laurent. When finally they rushed into the training area, the freezing rain outside had soaked to their bones and they shivered as they dropped their belongings by the door.

"So we've finally decided to show up, have we?" Laurent asked from across the room, his back to them.

Alice and Bella shared slightly nervous glances before Bella finally found the courage to speak up, "Sir, History is across the grounds and-"

Laurent held a hand up, silencing her, "I didn't ask for you excuses, Isabella. I asked you to be on time, for once. For the first hour, you two can do stair sprints. And don't even consider stopping until I tell you to."

The training portion of the castle was large, dark, and much older than anywhere else. The stone floor and walls, colored a rich red, were cracked in varying places. To the back of the room was a grand staircase that led to a seating area high within. At the end of the year, during exams, professors would sit in this area and grade the fights below. . . Now, the grand staircase would serve as exhaustive exercise.

"I said don't stop!" Laurent yelled after what seemed like hours had passed.

The chill of the rain had evaporated quickly and sweat now fell from Bella's face. She wiped her forehead, breathing heavily, and continued up and down the stairs though her muscles were screaming in pain.

"This," Alice began between breaths. "Is torture!"

Bella's face twisted and she pushed herself further. It was agony to her lungs and legs, sure, but she knew that everything Laurent did made them stronger. Even punishment.

"Enough," Laurent called finally.

Alice collapsed on the stairs next to Bella, who leaned on the stone side and pressed her fist roughly into her ribs as her legs trembled slightly. Below them, class had now gathered and around the room young slayers in training were practicing with weapons, fighting, and strength training. Bella noticed their roommate, Jessica, down in the pit fighting. Of course Jessica had been on time, her previous class was practically next door. Bella tossed aside jealousy of her friend and descended down the stairs with Alice trailing slowly behind.

"That was just the warm up," Laurent said when finally the two reached him. "You'd think you two would be used to this by now, but don't think because you're already tired that I'll make this session any easier for you. Retrieve your weapons and return to me."

Bella and Alice, still breathing heavy, ignored the curious glances from their class and made their way across the room to the wall of weapons. On it lay an extraordinary array of weaponry ranging from crossbows and swords to makeshift grenades and traps. Alice reached for her specialty; a pair of whips. They were navy blue with sharp silver lines twirling from the handle to the tip. She took a few steps back and twirled the whips, one in each hand, cracking the air around her. Alice was absolutely deadly with her whips, and once they were infused with the oil of Ambrosia, no vampire alive would be smart to come near her.

Bella preferred a less flashy yet equally lethal weapon: blades. The small blades she pulled from the wall had been a gift from Laurent for her dedication to training. These weapons were jet black and glossy and were adorned with her initials in gold. They were made from the most expensive steel known to slayers, sharper than any blade she had ever held before.

"Practice with the targets on the wall," Laurent commanded.

"_Targets?_" Bella asked, slightly offended as she was now accustomed to training with people.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Laurent asked, his eyes growing dark.

Bella set her jaw but shook her head, "No, sir. Not at all."

As she had a tendency to do in training, Bella poured herself into her work. She threw blade after blade at the targets, hitting in the chest every time. She trained until her arms and shoulders ached. It was only when she gave herself a break and wiped the sweat from her face with trembling fingers did she look around the room and realize she was the only one left.

"What time is it?" She asked, breathing heavy.

"Training ended an hour and a half ago," Laurent stated, perched on the stairs watching her carefully.

Bella nodded, retrieving her blades from the target and making her way over to Laurent. She sat next to him on the stairs, extending her legs and stretching deeply. Her muscles were tender but her body felt alive. The adrenaline was beginning to settle, however, and she was losing energy.

"Clean your blades, bandage your hands, and I'll get you something to eat when you're done," Laurent said, patting her shoulder kindly.

Bella studied her hands; they were scarred from blade cuts throughout a lifetime of training, and now there were small nicks and dried blood from today's session.

"You have a ferocity about you, Isabella," Laurent began. "I've always admired it. You're one of my best students."

She glanced up at him while her fingers deftly cleaned her weapons, "I have to. Some day I'll-"

"Avenge your parents death, yes," Laurent said. "I commend your dedication to finding your parents killer, however, I hope you are aware that he may be long dead by now. A war rages outside these castle walls. Slayers, lycans, and vampires bloodletting each other at every opportunity. It's likely the killer has already been taken."

"He's alive," She stated certainly, tracing the scar with her fingertip. "I know he is. I can feel it. I'll never forget his face or the sound of his voice. Next time we meet, I won't be a child. I'll be stronger than him and I'll be prepared. And he will bleed for the crimes against my parents, and myself."

* * *

It was still raining when Bella finally left the training grounds. It was late Friday night, but she wasn't sure of the exact time. She crossed the grounds in a hurry, blinded by the wind whipping the rain in her face. She shivered as she made her way up the staircase to her dormitory, wringing water out of her hair and shoes squishing with each step. She could hear Alice and Jessica's voices from the hallway. They seemed to be arguing about something. She slipped in quickly, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm almost certain curfew is up and you two are being loud enough that every instructor on the grounds could hear you!" She hissed.

"Jessica is leaving," Alice stated, putting her hands on her hips.

"Again?" Bella whispered, whipping to face Jessica. "You've been sneaking out for weeks, you're going to get caught!"

"Listen," Jessica started, raising a hand up to quiet them. "I get that you two are prudes, but I'm not. I need _fun_ every now and then. I'll be back by morning, just like always."

Knowing that arguing was useless, Bella reached for a different tactic, "At least tell us who you're going with, or where!"

"No," Jessica said sternly. "It's none of your business, Bella. I trust you not to tell our instructors that I sneak out, but I don't trust you with much more. No offense, you're just closer to them, especially Laurent, than the rest of us."

"Jessica, there is a war out there. It's dangerous. Not to mention, if you get caught then we're all in trouble, not just you. We could be expelled and our future license denied. And for what?" Bella was shouting now, her anger peaking.

Jessica glared, "I'm not telling you anything to protect you, Bella. If I ever get caught, which I won't, you won't have to lie when you say you don't know where I went. Just lie and say you didn't know I was gone. If I can make it off the grounds without being noticed, I'm pretty sure I can make it out of this room without you two finding out."

Jessica, dressed in a too short black dress gathered her high heels and stuffed them in a bag which she slung on her shoulder. She paused by the window and before pushing it open and slipping out, she turned to say one last thing.

"When was the last time you were outside these grounds, Bella, besides to visit Jake? Have you ever considered that life out there isn't what it's made out to be?"


	2. II

"Bella._ Bella!_ Wake up!"

She forced her eyes open, dazed from a deep sleep, and sat up suddenly, "What is going on?!"

Alice perched on the edge of her bed, her face contorted in worry, "She never came home last night."

"Who didn't what?" Bella asked groggily.

Alice shook her shoulders gently, "Wake up and focus! Jessica never came home last night."

The fog of sleep cleared instantly and Bella sucked air between her teeth, glancing around the room quickly.

"What?" She whispered angrily.

She looked past Alice at Jessica's bed. The sheets were perfectly made and all of her belongings were the same as the night before. Bella's stomach dropped and she bit her lip.

"You don't think she ran away, do you?"

Alice knitted her brows together, "She didn't come back for anything, Bella. All of her clothes and things are still here. And besides, where would she go? We're all wards of the state, we have no homes except this one. She didn't run away."

Bella knew Alice was right. They had all three been orphans when they had been granted to the academy. As far as they knew, Jessica didn't have any living relatives; at least not any that wanted her. Most humans, unfortunately, tried to stay far away from vampires, lycans, and even slayers. They were scared, admittedly with reason, but in a lot of cases in meant abandonment when your child showed slayer signs.

Bella had been fortunate that both of her parents had been slayers. They were well respected in the community and their death had been a tragedy to most. After her parents death, Sarah and Billy Black, their family friends, had been granted temporary custody of Bella until she became of age to attend the academy.

Alice's past was rougher in a different way. Her parents were human, and as a child she began to show the strange signs that clearly read _slayer. _Her parents feared her, though, and signed her over to a human mental institution. Soon after, members of the coven found her and accepted her until she, too, was given to the academy.

They knew little of Jessica's past except that she was orphaned at an age younger than them and had lived in foster care most of her life, bouncing from home to home. She got a late start to the academy as they had a difficult time tracking her due to her ever changing family. If Jessica had anywhere to go, other than the academy, she certainly hadn't let it be known.

"What do we do?" Alice asked nervously, chewing her bottom lip. "Report it to the instructors?"

"No," Bella said suddenly. "If they know she's missing, they'll kick her out and we'll be reprimanded as well. We have to find her and bring her back before anyone realizes she's gone. We have two days until classes resume."

Bella shoved her covers back and jumped from her bed, walking briskly across the room. She began rummaging through everything Jessica owned; books, letters, pictures, clothes, everything.

"She has to have something in here that can give us some kind of clue," She muttered, flinging things around the room.

The deeper into Jessica's personal belongings she dove, the less hope she had. Everything seemed normal. She owned normal clothes, normal slayer gear, nothing out of the ordinary. Her photos were all of her and her friends. Even her journal proved to be a disappointment as it appeared she hadn't written in it in ages.

"What is this?" Alice asked, plucking from the ground a small, white napkin that Bella had cast aside without a second thought.

She crossed the room and the two of them inspected the napkin closely. It was an intricately sewn cloth of white with red trim and a large red _C _embroidered in the center. It wasn't anything Bella had ever seen before, it certainly didn't belong to the academy. She looked up at Alice nervously.

"I don't know, but it's the only thing we have," She said, taking the napkin from Alice to have a closer look. "Maybe Jacob will know something about it. I'll get dressed and go see him."

"I'll come with you," Alice said.

* * *

Academy rules were simple: you weren't allowed to leave the grounds unless given permission to visit family. This was an unfortunate rule for those like Alice and Jessica, who didn't have family; meaning they never left. But as the Black's had once had custody of Bella, she frequently received permission of leave to visit them. She didn't take it as often as she used to as her friendship with Jake had taken a hard hit recently. But still, her desire to help her friend overrode her nervousness of seeing Jake.

It didn't take much persuasion from Bella for Laurent to sign a waver of release for the day, however getting permission for Alice proved to be most difficult. It required a call of consent to the Black family, assuring they would be responsible for her well being while outside the grounds. After a twenty minute phone conversation where Bella was sure she would chew her nails to their graves, Laurent returned and granted Alice permission as well.

"Enjoy the day, ladies," He said. "On your best behavior, you are representing us, as you well know."

"Yes, sir," Bella said with a nod.

A car waited for them just outside the gates to escort them directly to their destination: the Black Manor. Bella took a deep breath and turned to Alice once they were moving.

"You've never met Jacob or his family before, but don't be nervous," She began. "I know it'll feel weird being in a manor full of lycans, but they're very homely and nice. You don't have anything to worry about it."

Alice smiled though it didn't quite reach her eyes, "I'm not worried. You've been visiting them for years, and they saved your life. What's there to be afraid of?"

Bella shrugged, "There's always a stigma, I suppose."

In truth, the lycans had proved over the years to be much less violent than their counterpart. They didn't kill humans for sport and didn't feed off of them as the vampires did. Any murders had been proved accidental, with the exception of a rare few. And since they had signed the last treaty with the slayers, most of the stigma and bias against them had faded over the years. Still, Bella knew this was the first time Alice had been outside the grounds in years, and she was going to meet a house full of lycans.

"Have you ever seen one in person?" Bella asked quietly.

"A lycan?" Alice questioned. "No, I haven't. I don't have the same experience as you."

Bella smiled, "They look just like us until they transform."

She patted her knee reassuringly and leaned back in her seat. Her hand tucked into the pocket of her pants and her finger traced the lace embroidery of the napkin. Her only hope now was that Jacob, who'd been living on the outside his entire life, would know what it meant.

* * *

The rain had finally stopped but the skies remained ominously dark and thunder echoed through the air threateningly. Bella pulled her coat tighter around her small frame as she exited the car and glanced up at the Black manor. It was architecturally stunning, but with the backdrop of black clouds it seemed somehow menacing. They walked through the gates and up the cobblestone pathway to the door. As they ascended the steps, the front door opened and out walked Sarah Black, wiping her hands on an apron she wore.

"Isabella!" She said, her face widening into a bright smile. "It's been too long!"

Mrs. Black embraced Bella warmly, holding her tightly for a few moments before turning to greet her friend.

"And you must be Alice," She said, giving her an equally sweet smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've just baked a tray of muffins, why don't you two come inside? I fear it might rain any moment now."

As they followed Mrs. Black into the manor, they shrugged off their coats and passed them off to her. Bella watched Alice carefully, curious about her reaction to being around the lycans for the first time, but Alice seemed unfazed. The only thing that seemed to catch her attention was the grandeur of their home. Bella was used to it, however, as she spent many years chasing Jacob up and down the large staircase and playing vampires and slayers in the back garden.

"Mrs. Black, is Jacob home?" She asked politely.

Mrs. Black nodded, "He's upstairs. . . Lost all his manners today, apparently. I told him to come down and greet you but he says he isn't feeling well."

"Well, we'll have to go upstairs and see if we can't cheer him up a bit," Bella commented, shooting a look at Alice who nodded in agreement.

Bella knew exactly where Jacob's room was: up the staircase, down the hallway to the left, third door on the right. Though it could have only been months since she'd been here, it now felt foreign walking the halls.

"This house is incredible," Alice whispered.

"They make a lot of money hunting vampires," Bella noted.

Alice paused and looked at her curiously, "Do you really think Jacob will help us? You two aren't on the best terms right now."

Bella sighed, "I don't know. We used to be best friends. Hopefully he hasn't forgotten that."

They paused outside his bedroom and Bella took a long breath before rapping her knuckles on the large oak door. A few seconds passed before they heard a rustling from inside and the door pulled open. Jacob appeared to have just woken up. He wore only a pair of light pajama bottoms and his hair was a mess, but he looked otherwise healthy.

"Jake," Bella greeted quietly.

His eyes shifted from sleepy to annoyed quickly, "Bella."

He immediately moved to close the door but she slapped her hand on it, forcing it to stay open.

"Wait," She said quickly. "May we come in?"

"We?" He asked, eyes flicking from her to Alice as if only just now noticing her.

"This is my best friend, Alice," Bella introduced. "And there's something we need your help with."

His eyes narrowed, "You ignore me for months and suddenly show up at my home requesting my help? Some nerve you've got, Isabella."

She glared at him. He knew she hated being called Isabella and made pointed effort to only call her that when he was angry or looking to annoy her. In this moment, it was both. She huffed and shoved the door open, brushing past him easily and motioning for Alice to follow.

"Hey!" He half growled. "Excuse me, I'm not even dressed."

She plucked a shirt from his wardrobe and tossed it a little too roughly at his face, "There, put your shirt on and stop complaining."

She perched on the edge of his bed, Alice hovering near his window, while he got dressed. His irritation was clear as he kept muttering under his breath about how _unbelievable_ this was.

"Jacob," Bella finally said softly. "I wasn't ignoring you."

He paused, his face blank, "Oh, you weren't? I sent invitation to you for dinner here three times and all three times you were absent without word."

She rose from his bed quickly, her brows pulling together, "I wanted to come, I promise. I just thought it was best if we had space."

"Space because you don't have feelings for me the way I have for you," He stated coldly.

"Because I didn't want to hurt you," She replied quickly.

"Ah, your absence definitely wasn't painful," He clipped.

"I was trying to do the right thing!"

"An explanation would've been nice!"

"You knew how I felt!"

"And you knew how I felt!"

"_Hey!_" Alice finally shouted above them, raising her hands. "Can you two hash things out at a later date? We did come here for a reason, after all."

Jacob rolled his eyes and fell back on his bed, "What do you need?"

Bella glared at him for a moment before pulling the napkin from her pocket and dropping it on his chest, "Have you ever seen this before?"

She noticed the instant his face transformed from bored to horrified. He dropped the napkin as if it were fire to his skin and looked up at her incredulously.

"Where did you get that, Bella?"

Her heartbeat skipped and she shared an excited glance with Alice, "You've seen it before? What is it?"

He stood suddenly and looked down at her with a serious expression, "Bella, where did you get that?"

"Our friend is missing. It was in her belongings," She said quickly. "_What is it?_"

He reached quickly for the napkin, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it in the bin by the door, "If your friend had any involvement in that, she isn't missing, she's dead."

Ice shot through her blood like adrenaline and for a moment the room seemed to sway before she leaned against the wall and considered his words carefully.

"She can't be," She whispered, looking up at him desperately. "How can you be so certain?"

"Well, if she isn't dead yet she's as good as," He stated finally, crossing his arms.

"Jacob," Alice pleaded finally. "We need you to tell us what that means."

His gaze moved carefully between the two slayers before he finally settled on Bella, "Isabella, swear on your life you won't go there."

"I don't even know where _there_ is!" She shouted.

"And I won't tell you unless you swear to me you won't go there!" He shouted back. "Listen to me, this place is dangerous and if your friend went there, there's no way she came out alive."

"What is it, Jacob?" Bella choked.

"It's a vampire night club," He finally spat. "The C stands for Cullen, the vampires who run the club."

Bella's mouth dropped open and she shook her head, "How do you know that?"

"My dad had a run in with the Cullen's a few years back. They're a small coven here, but as far as I know they follow the regulations that have been set in place so we won't bother them unless they break the rules."

"Rules?"

"No killing humans," He stated with a shrug.

"So she might not be dead," Bella asked, hope sparking.

"You don't understand, Bella," Jacob said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's a vampire club. Just because the Cullen's aren't killing humans, as far as we can trace back to them, doesn't mean everyone else in that club isn't. If your friend is missing, and she was there, then she's dead. This isn't a job for you to go investigating, it needs to be reported to my parents."

"No!" Bella shouted. "I mean, we haven't even reported it to the academy yet. I need to talk to my instructors first and then I'll ask them to contact your father."

The lie was quick and she watched him carefully to see if he caught it. She could practically see the wheels in his head turning as he thought of every scenario that could play out after she left. His eyes grew dark and he hovered over her so closely that the breath from his lips brushed her face.

"Isabella," He whispered carefully. "If I find out you're in that club, or that you've gone to that club, I'll gather every lycan I can find and I'll tear it apart myself. Stay away from it."

Bella shook her head, "I'm not going, Jake. But we need to talk to our instructors immediately. You've been so much help."

She ignored the slight protest he gave and wrapped her arms around his neck. His skin felt warm and he smelled of honey and smoke, just as always. She forced her arms to unclasp from around him and his expression was pained. She gave him an apologetic smile and touched her hand to his arm.

"I missed you," She whispered. "I'll be back soon, I promise. Thank you."

Once they were in the hallway, Alice had to take double stride to keep up with Bella, "You know, Laurent is going to kill us for not reporting this sooner. We might still get expelled."

"We won't get expelled," Bella stated seriously, somehow picking up her pace and walking faster.

"How can you be so sure?" Alice asked.

Bella stopped and looked at Alice, her face steeled and determined, "Because we're not reporting this. We're going to the Cullen's club and we're getting her back."


	3. III

"Where are you going?" Alice asked in a hushed whisper.

Bella moved quickly down the hallway, "Billy keeps a record of every vampire he's killed or encountered. He's very thorough. If he had a run in with the Cullen's, I'm positive there's a record of it in his office."

She paused in front of the ornate door to Billy's office and pressed her ear against the hard wood, "He's not here. I need you to be the look out. I just need a minute, but we need these records."

"Why?" Alice asked, glancing around uncomfortably.

"We need the address to the nightclub," Bella said, cursing under her breath when she found the door locked.

She pulled from her hair two pins and knelt down to begin picking the lock.

"Where did you learn how to do _that_?"

Bella smiled up at her as the lock clicked and the door pushed open, "Jacob and I spent a lot of years here exploring the "forbidden" rooms. Wait here, I'll make this quick."

She knew Billy kept his records on the large bookshelf to the left of his desk. Upon entering, the smell of stagnant smell of old parchment and stale cigars violated her senses. She waved the air briefly before rushing to the bookshelf.

"It has to be here somewhere," She muttered, flipping through many documents before finding the C label.

Just as her eyes read the name Cullen, Alice called out to her.

"Someone's coming!" She whispered anxiously.

"Damn," Bella grumbled before ripping the page from the book and stuffing it inside her pocket.

She rejoined Alice in the hallway quickly and shut the door behind her just as Billy Black rounded the corner. He raised his eyebrows but gave the two of them a forced smile.

"Isabella, good afternoon," He said as his gaze shifted between the two of them. "What brings you to this side of the manor?"

Alice looked at Bella uncomfortably, but she just smiled, "Alice was feeling ill. I was going to the herb room to give her something to calm her stomach, but we've decided to go back to the academy early instead. I feel she needs to lie down."

"Very well," He said slowly, his eyes never leaving them. "I hope to see you soon, Isabella. And you as well, Alice. Do get to feeling better."

"Of course, thank you," Alice managed to whisper.

"Lets get out of here," Bella finally said once Billy retired to his office.

Once back at the academy, Bella rushed around the dormitory in a frenzy; pulling clothes from the closet and tossing them on the bed followed by all of her slayer gear.

* * *

"Bella, slow down," Alice exclaimed. "We need to talk about this first."

"What's there to discuss?" Bella asked, stopping abruptly. "We have to go find her."

"You're suggesting the pair of us walk into a nest of vampires unarmed-"

"-We won't be unarmed-"

"-Oh, even better," Alice interrupted sarcastically. "They'll know two slayers just walked in. They'll drink us dry before we reach the bar."

"Alice," Bella argued, placing her hands on her hips. "Our weapons will be hidden. And I'm not looking to start a fight with potentially fifty vampires. We'll go in, ask a few questions, and see what we can find."

"And if they're thirsty for more than a gin and tonic?" Alice countered, raising her eyebrows.

"Then," Bella said slowly, tightening her hands into fists to keep them from trembling. "We fight."

"This is an insane plan," Alice stated, shaking her head.

Bella sighed, "What other choice do we have? If you have a better idea, please, I'm all for it."

Alice shrugged, "What do we need to do?"

Bella wiped her sweaty palms on her pants and took a deep breath, "First, we need better weapons than these. We'll have to, er, borrow them from the training grounds. We'll need to lace them with ambrosia, so we'll have to make a trip to the garden. And we have to dress appropriately so we don't draw any extra attention to ourselves. I don't own anything that would be fitting for a nightclub."

"Neither do I," Alice said, her brows pulling together nervously.

"So we'll borrow them from Jessica's wardrobe. No doubt she has plenty," Bella said as she leaned against the wall and let her face fall in her hands.

"And then once we're there?" Alice asked quietly.

"We try not to get killed."

* * *

As luck would have it, it was remarkably easy to sneak weapons off the training grounds as it was open for practice every day. The ambrosia flowers in the garden were equally easy. The most difficult task yet came hours later, after they had ground the flowers to dust and laced their weapons. . . It was time to choose their outfits.

"Well, everything here is certainly fitting for a nightclub," Alice commented, rummaging through the wardrobe.

Bella wrinkled her nose, "Or a sex worker."

Finally, Bella decided on the simplest black dress she could find. The length was too short for her taste and it felt like a second skin, but she felt slightly more comfortable once she pulled on her leather jacket and tucked inside four of her blades. She then hid two more, one in each of her boots, for good measure.

Alice's dress was a rich, emerald green and equally short, but cinched tightly at her petite waist. A tasteful collar rose slightly around her throat, giving her a hint of elegance.

"You look royal," Bella said with a smile.

Alice smirked slightly, "You look sexy."

Bella took a deep breath, "Okay, it's nightfall; time to put this suicide mission in motion."

Alice peered out the window, "It's late night curfew, everyone's still out. We're more likely to get busted."

"Or possibly less likely, the more people running around the less odds anyone will focus on us," Bella countered hopefully.

"Yeah, the two of us scaling the side of the castle and climbing the fence outside will be completely unnoticeable," Alice said dryly.

Bella shot her a look, "Move like a vampire's chasing you. Lets do this."

Alice shoved the window open and the cool night wind stung their face as they peered below. Jessica scaled this side of the castle frequently, which meant it was doable. But the drop was far, and slipping meant at the very least a broken leg, possibly spine.

"I'll go first," Bella managed to get out, climbing through the window and digging her fingers into the holes in the stone wall.

"Girls must have been sneaking out of this dormitory for centuries," Bella noted as she cautiously made her way down the stones. "The cracks and holes in the wall seem man made more than years of erosion."

"You know, your commentary isn't helping my nerves," Alice noted above her, slowly following Bella to the ground.

They moved as quickly as they safely could, the fear of being spotted settling in their stomach like a thousand stones. When finally Bella's feet hit the wet grass, she looked up at Alice expectantly. She was nearly to the ground, but rather than climbing the remaining stones down, Alice let go of the wall. Bella sucked in a breath but Alice landed in a poised crouch. When she stood, she brushed her hair from her face and smiled.

"Show off," Bella muttered, smiling as she made her way to the fence.

The wall that surrounded the academy was a tall and iron wrought, with one gated exit on the opposite side of the grounds. Thunder rumbled above them, threatening skyfall at any moment. Bella's fingers grasped the iron bars and she furrowed her brows, looking around nervously.

"Quickly," She whispered. "Before anyone notices us."

The two of them hoisted themselves up and climbed over, landing on the opposite side with a dull thud. Bella rubbed her hands together and dusted off the rust, glancing up at Alice. Her face was an odd combination of uneasy determination.

"Jessica probably had a vehicle to take her into town," She said under her breath.

Bella shrugged, "We aren't that fortunate. It's only a few miles. Walk on the leaves so you don't leave tracks."

"My poor shoes. . ." Alice muttered, following in step next to Bella.

She had been correct: it was only a few miles to town. However, those few miles felt like a century. Bella's thoughts whirled in a constant rotation of worry for Jessica and then worry for themselves. After all, she was leading the two of them into a den of vampires.

_ Four blades in your jacket, two in your boots,_ she continued to remind herself. The concern eventually evolved into anticipation the closer the drew to town until eventually their boots hit the familiar streets and the sound of a crowd of voices echoed their eardrums.

"Do you know where we're going?" Alice asked as they walked along the sidewalk.

"Not exactly," Bella replied, watching her surroundings carefully. "I know the general side of town where the nightclub is located. After that, we'll just have to search."

The Cullen's nightclub, in fact, was a very popular attraction. It wasn't long after Bella had walked them around the slums and to the elite side of town did they notice a general direction in which everyone moved. Alice and Bella, in agreement, followed the crowd of humans for two blocks before they rounded a corner and both stopped cold.

It seemed the entire street was lit with a bright red light, illuminating the gathering crowd's face in a shade of blood. Among them, the crowd of people were boisterous; laughing and causing an excited commotion.

But Bella's eyes were on the nightclub. The entrance was bold, the doors draped in a beautiful black curtain and laced with red rope that extended to form a line for the crowd waiting to enter. Above the entryway stood the remarkable red_ C. _

"It's bigger than I imagined," Alice whispered, her eyes taking in the magnificence as well.

Bella swallowed, her eyes turning to the crowd of people, "Me too. . . But we have a job to do."

As they approached the entry, she began to distinguish the crowd. But a small handful were human. . . the rest were vampires. She knew they way their predatory eyes watched them carefully, as a lion would a gazelle. The hunger was evident in the glow of their bright red eyes and it made Bella's hair stand on end.

"It's okay," She said, more to herself than Alice.

She took a deep breath, trying to decide their next move. Go to the end of the line? Sneak in the back? What would draw less attention?

But one vampire stood out of the crowd. He was walking inside but paused at the last second, almost as if there air changed scent and he knew of their presence. He paused in the doorway of the club, peered over his shoulder, and smiled at Bella.

She grabbed Alice's arm, holding her back. Maybe she was right. This is too dangerous.

But the vampire was quickly approaching, crossing the street at an alarmingly fast pace. She seemed frozen in place as he approached, thinking only to step in front of Alice as he reached them. His hair was clipped short, his lips full, and his smile unnerving.

"Humans," He simply said.

Bella held his gaze and narrowed her eyes, "Intuitive."

"Not intuitive," He said, his smile shining his fangs in the moonlight. "Your scent gave you away, you're standing down wind. And you're late."

She backtracked, furrowing her brows as the vampire stepped before her and quickly slid an arm around her shoulders before she could protest. She looked up him, her fingertips reaching inside her jacket and dancing on the tip of a blade before his other arm snaked around Alice. He took a deep breath and looked up at the night sky, shaking his head and urging them forward. As Bella's eyes drifted from the vampire, she noted the crowd of people watching them carefully and her nerves kicked into overdrive.

"Late for what?" She whispered, looking back up at him with worried eyes.

He smiled down at her, releasing Alice just long enough to use his free arm to trace his fingers from her chin down her neck, "The blood auction."

* * *

A/N: I hate for my chapters to be this short so I apologize, but I'm building up for some really awesome stuff to happen and I just had to end it like this.  
I really hope you guys like it!


	4. IV

The nightclub was dimly lit, lights hanging low from the ceiling and barely illuminating the crowd of red eyes. The vampires paced anxiously from the bar to their seats, glancing from one another to the stage at the far back. The stage was quite small, but beautifully decorated with a rich black lacquered floor, elegant lights that fell midway, and a deep red tapestry along the sides. In front of the stage were rows of tables colored the same black and hideaway covens with inviting couches tucked away to each side. A grand staircase on either side of the nightclub led guests to the second floor, where now stood a line of vampires peering over the banister at the stage below.

The bar, aside from the stage, was the only brightly lit area to be found. Lights along the bar top caused the faces of the patrons to seemingly glow. One vampire in particular raised his voice slightly, speaking above the music and excited guests.

"I'm pleased with the turn out," He grinned as he spoke, his eyes glimmering as they reflected the lights.

The vampire opposite him returned his smile, "I have to agree. Though after the last blood auction I can't say it's surprising."

The first vampire shifted his gaze to the crowd, "These are dangerous affairs, I daresay. If even one of them loses control, we'll have an entire army of lycans on our asses."

"You're far too paranoid, Jasper," The second said with a reassuring glance. "Will you take one tonight?"

"Human?" Jasper asked, quirking an eyebrow and shrugging. "If any catches my eye."

"Unlikely, you're far too picky."

"Me?" Jasper scoffed. "Pot and kettle, Edward."

The second vampire, Edward, rolled his eyes, "As you say, brother."

A clang of glass pulled the two from their conversation and their eyes moved in unity to the source; a tall vampire with blonde hair pulled high atop her head and a piercing gaze. She placed in front of them a tray of nine small shot glasses filled to the brim with a glowing pink liquid.

"The humans are ready," She said, sliding the tray across the bar to Edward. "I'll let you do the honors."

"Nine?" Edward asked, shaking his head. "Only seven humans volunteered."

Rosalie leaned against the bar and ran a finger around the rim of one of the glasses, watching him carefully, "We had two last minute additions."

Jasper narrowed his eyes, "I haven't issued any paperwork for last minute additions. Did they sign wavers?"

"Relax," Rosalie said, reaching beneath the bar and placing the wavers in front of them. "Emmett already took care of it."

Edward glanced carefully from the papers to Rosalie skeptically, "They signed this willingly with full knowledge of what they were doing? I don't recall having ever met an Isabella or Alice, and I do well to meet all of our human patrons."

"They came in with Biers," Rosalie scoffed. "Since when are you so full of fifty questions? They signed the paperwork, the proof is on the page. Now, take this ambrosia to them so they can drink it before the auction begins."

Edward glared at her dangerously before sliding the papers to Jasper and taking the tray off the bar, "I'd be careful who you're giving orders to, Rose."

She smirked as they stepped around the bar and slipped through a door beside the bar into the back of the club.

"What do you make of this?" Jasper asked, gesturing the papers.

"I don't know, but Biers is as slimy as they come," Edward muttered.

"I can't argue with that," Jasper commented.

The two made their way through a maze of doors until they reached an elegant door blocked by a large, dark haired vampire. He grinned as they approached and nodded to them.

"I was beginning to think I'd have to hunt the two of you down," He commented lightly.

"I'd say we're right on time," Jasper replied coolly.

Edward quirked an eyebrow, "Care to explain our new arrivals?"

Emmett grinned at him, stepping aside from the door, "Couldn't pass these two up. They'll bring in a large sum each, I'd say. Thought I was going to have to tear one of them away from Biers myself, the little bastard."

"And they agreed to this?" Edward asked carefully.

"I didn't force their signatures," Emmett quipped quickly.

"We're just making sure," Jasper said, raising his hands. "If they later claim they were forced, we're in for a hell of a dispute."

"Well, I didn't force them," Emmett replied.

"Very well then," Edward said, nodding. "Lets get started."

Edward reached for the doorknob and as the door cracked open only inches, he froze. A fragrance unlike anything he'd ever experienced flowed from inside the room. He paused and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and savoring the enticing aroma. The flesh on his arms prickled and his grip tightened on the doorknob. He resisted the overwhelming urge to burst into the room and devour the source of such an irresistible fragrance.

"Sometime today," Emmett muttered behind him.

Edward's eyes flew open and he shook his head slightly, desperate to clear his senses. However, when finally he opened the door fully and entered the room, his desire became overpowering. His hands turned to fists as he fought to control himself in such a way he had never been forced to do before. His eyes scanned the row of women before he saw her. Her pulse thrummed quicker when their eyes met and she looked away nervously. Without thinking, he took a step closer.

"Ladies," Jasper greeted, his voice laying anchor to Edward and pulling him back to reality. "I'm Jasper and these are my partners Edward and Emmett. We'd like to thank you for–"

His voice trailed off slowly and Edward glanced back at him curiously. Jasper, equally unprepared to have his senses destroyed, seemed to have lost focus. His lips were parted slightly and Edward noted him testing the air.

It was dangerous for one of them to feel so drawn to a human, but for the both of them to battle for control could have devastating consequences. Edward turned to face Jasper, stepping between him and the humans and taking his eye contact.

"Take the documents and file them. I'll take care of this and meet you at the bar when we're ready to proceed."

Jasper's eyes turned predatory, flashing from one of the girls to Edward. Of their family, Jasper was the most newborn which gave him the least control of all. Edward had never thirsted after someone as much as he did the woman in the room with him now, and judging by Jasper's reaction it was clear that the same could be said for him. He pulled his brows together with worry, watching Jasper's face carefully. He was battling himself mentally, and Edward knew that clearing the air would also clear his thoughts.

"Trust me," He whispered. "Go."

Jasper flexed his fingers and took a deep breath but finally nodded and briskly exited the room, shutting the door a little too roughly behind him. Edward turned back to face the women who mostly seemed unfazed by Jasper.

"Most of you attended our last blood auction, a few of you even participated, but I see for two of you this is your first time. The event is simple: you have given consent to have your blood auctioned. Emmett will escort you to the stage where the vampires inside will bid on each of you. The highest bidder claims the prize and is free to drink within the given guidelines. Lightheartedness and dizziness is to be expected, I hear it's part of the euphoria that's experienced. However, if, at any time, you begin to experience nausea, panic, or disorientation, you order them to stop. But understand this, once you have signed this paper and the bid has been placed, you are in contract and therefor you owe your part. If you wish, you may leave now and your wavers shall be destroyed. Does everyone wish to proceed?"

Edward watched them closely, especially the two at the far end that he did not recognize. They seemed nervous and something uncomfortable tingled in the back of his mind; for some reason, he felt letting them enter the auction was the wrong decision. However, neither female objected and so Edward cleared his throat and offered forth a pink drink.

"This is essence of ambrosia. It's a small concentrate that has enough medicinal power to deny you from transitioning due to the venom but to also do no harm to whomever drinks from you. I've been told it also enhances the experience somehow," He said with a smile, walking down the line of women until he reached the last one.

Though he could hear her heartbeat quicken, her gaze held strong. Her dark eyes regarded him carefully but her aroma displayed the faintest hint of fear. His knuckles tightened around the tray as he watched her throat longingly while she tipped her head back and swallowed the ambrosia essence. As she quietly set the glass back on the tray, her eyes met his once more. He studied her face, his eyebrows pulling together as he wondered exactly what set her apart from the rest of them; what of this woman was so alluring that he desired nothing more than to pin her against the wall and taste her. . .

He stepped away from her quickly, shoving the thoughts to the deepest center of his mind and addressing the women once more, "That will be all, for now. The auction will begin in five minutes. Emmett will escort you to the stage. If you have any issues, please, address them to us immediately. I hope the evening treats you all wonderfully."

* * *

Once outside, Jasper ran his fingers through his hair roughly. He quickly made his way to the office and filed the paperwork, slamming shut the drawer.

"What is wrong with me?" He whispered aloud.

The clear air did little to clear his mind, thought admittedly it was less the girl's scent that caused the onslaught rather than just. . . her. Never, in all his years, had anyone ever quite literally taken his breath away until that very moment. It was as if the world tipped on it's axis and the gravitational pull had shifted. He wanted to be near her, to protect her, and he most certainly did not want her to participate in the auction.

And he wasn't quite sure how, but he knew she didn't want to participate either. Her body language read uncomfortable, her face a painting of stress and worry. He couldn't prove it, but she didn't want this.

"Are you okay now?"

The sound of Edward's voice caused him to jump. He hadn't heard him enter, which proved cause for concern; vampires have an incredible ear, Jasper's senses must be dulling.

"I'm fine," He managed, dusting his palms on his pants.

"It's normal to not always be in control, you know that," Edward reassured him.

"It wasn't that," Jasper rushed.

Edward strode across the room, leaning against the desk and watching him with a confused expression, "What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to tear her apart. . . I wasn't even thinking about her blood," Jasper said, pulling his eyebrows together as he tried to decipher his own words. "I just wanted to protect her."

Edward somehow managed a painful smile, but his face also read something akin to jealousy, "I don't know how you managed coherent thoughts. The smell of her blood was overpowering even to me. The little black dress fit nicely too–"

"What? No, not her," Jasper interrupted. "The taller one in the green dress. I didn't even notice anyone else."

Edward's expression seemed pleased, even relieved, but he left little time for Jasper to decode what that meant. He pushed himself off the desk and nodded his head for the door.

"Time to get this party started," He muttered.

Both men made their way back to the bar. The crowd was now in a frenzy as the girls were finally making their way into a line on the stage. Rosalie stood on stage urging the crowd to applaud and dramatically brushing hair from her face. Edward rolled his eyes and hopped on top of the bar, sliding across until he was behind it. He poured himself and Jasper and drink and rested on his elbows while the auction began.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attendance this evening!" Rosalie said emphatically. "Our lovely ladies this evening are as follows. You know the rules: highest bidder wins the prize! Our first lady of honor, please step forward. Who would like to start the bidding?"

The first girl to step forward was a regular, Edward knew her as Mel though her full name was Melanie. She seemed to be addicted to the bite as she was always lurking somewhere flirting with someone new every night. Vampires were predatory creatures, they loved the chase. With Mel, everything was simple. Her bidding went quickly and fairly low, especially compared to last week.

Edward's eyes scanned the line of women. Judging by the direction in which Rosalie called them forth, the girl he lusted after would be last and the girl Jasper desired would be right before her. The auction moved quickly, getting held up only by one woman who had been here last week but hadn't participated. The men seemed to particularly fight over her and she claimed the highest bid so far. Edward quipped a brow, impressed. One by one the women were led off the stage by their claimers until only the last two women were left.

"Finally," Rosalie said with a wide smile, draping her arm around the woman in the green dress. "Our last minute additions. New to this side of town, I presume?"

"Yes," The girl replied with a dainty voice.

"And what's your name, sweetheart?"

"Alice."

"Lovely," Rosalie grinned, eyes scanning back to the crowd. "Who wants to show Alice a great time tonight?"

Four bid cards went in the air simultaneously and Rosalie feigned surprise.

"My, oh, my," She breathed, placing a hand on her chest. "One at a time, gentleman. We need someone who will go easy on our newcomer."

Edward's eyes left the stage long enough to notice Jasper's hands turn to fists just seconds before he released a growl and lunged across the seats down the bar. Her jerked a bid card from a vampire who protested but only for a moment.

"Hey, I paid for that!"

"I paid for this bar! Get another one!" Jasper spat.

As soon as he sat back in his seat, the bid card was in the air.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Edward hissed.

"Bidding," Jasper replied quickly, shaking the card in the air for effect.

And effect it did have. Rosalie's face was equally confused as Edward's, but the patrons who caught on to what was happening suddenly stopped bidding. No one, it seemed, wanted to bid against the owner of the bar. After less than a minute, Rosalie was gesturing for Jasper to come to the stage and claim his prize.

Edward's fingers tightened around the glass and he watched the two women carefully. The girl in the black had her fingers laced around the other girl's wrist and was whispering something anxiously in her ear. For the faintest of second, they both glanced down at the girl's boots. . . but why, he didn't know. A moment later, Jasper was on the stage and offering his hand to the girl called Alice.

He noted the way the other girl seemed reluctant to let her friend go, but seconds later Jasper and Alice were exiting the stage together which only left. . .

"And last, but certainly not least, what's your name, darling?"

"Bella," Said the final girl, all hints of fear now gone and tone slightly defiant.

Edward shifted in his seat, watching her closely.

"Bella," Rosalie purred. "Who shall start the bidding on our dear Bella?"

One foot away lay the bid card that Jasper had used. Edward need only extend his right arm, grab hold, and Bella would be his for the evening. He glanced back up and noticed that he wasn't nearly the only one who desired her; the air was full of bid cards. He glowered, fingers flexing as he looked at the bid card once more.

_Do it._

He growled under his breath. What if he lost control with her? He could hardly stand to be in the same room with her without tearing into her. . .

_Do it!_

He reached for the bid card just as Rosalie ended the auction. He deflated.

"The winner is Riley Biers! Come forth and claim your prize, Mr. Biels."

Edward turned slowly, eyes narrowed at the figure pulling Bella off the stage. There were a few things in life that Edward was certain of – First, he didn't like to be told what to do. Second, he didn't like to lose. And third, he didn't like people having things that he wanted.

* * *

The evening had droned on agonizingly slowly. Jacob had refused dinner, his mood too soured from his interaction with Bella earlier to bother eating. When Embry and Quil had arrived, it took all of his remaining willpower to tolerate the two. Jacob, relaxed on his bed, watched the two with skeptical eyes as they argued over who was the strongest.

"You wouldn't stand a chance against me," Embry huffed.

Quil rolled his eyes dramatically, "As if, man. You wouldn't last two sec–"

A knock on the door turned all three of their heads. Jacob's expression remained bored but he rolled himself off the bed and pulled open the door to see his father standing before him.

"Son," He said. "A word, please?"

Jacob nodded, brows pulled together, and stepped outside. He closed the door quietly behind him and crossed his arms.

"Yes?"

"Isabella left in a rush this afternoon," He began.

"Okay," Jacob scoffed, turning to go back into his room.

This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have, not right now and especially not with his father.

"Wait, Jacob," He said, giving him pause just as he opened his bedroom door. "Do you have any reason to believe Isabella would have been in my office today? The lock was picked open and I found her and her friend outside of the room just before they left."

"No, I can't think of an–"

Jacob's voice trailed off and suddenly his blood ran cold. She wouldn't have. . . His eyes narrowed at the door and anger rushed through his veins like a shot of adrenaline.

"No, sir. I can't think of any reason she would have," He muttered through clenched teeth. "But I'll surely find out."

The door slammed shut behind Jacob and he rushed through the room, grabbing fresh clothes from his wardrobe and slamming that door equally as hard. Embry and Quil jumped.

"What the hell, dude?"

"Call Paul and the others," Jacob growled. "We're going hunting tonight."

* * *

**A/N:** Welcome back! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I had a blast writing it!  
My original intentions were for more to happen in chapter four, but it ended up being longer than I had planned so it'll be divided out now instead. I hope you found it worth the wait! If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM! XO


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